Love triangle
by Brokentimespace
Summary: [2S, D3!VxD4!DxN] The triangle is one of the simplest geometric shape, but when applied to romantic relationships, it can notably complicate the matter. Especially when long-lost siblings and demonic hierarchy are also thrown in.
1. Love Triangle

Hi everyone !

I'm Brokentimespace, a French writer. And this is actually my first English-only fanfic ^^.

I'm not used to write in English so that fanfic will most certainly contain an insane amount of mistakes and I'm very sorry for that. Scholastic English isn't really suited to write fanfic, but well, I've done my best with what I know.

Also, I know DMC for a long time but like in some of my other works, I just hope no one is too much OOC.

That fanfic is special for me, because I want people to have fun with its plot. I usually write longer works, with complex and very personal plots. Since it was my first English work, I wrote with only a few details and the most important concept, but I feel there is a lot more doable, like add lemons (I'm terrible with that stuff, sorry) or more obstacles to make the relationships more realistic, or whatever you feel is missing. I thereby leave the plot of this OS into your hands, have fun with it !

And for those who want like a prompt, it would be :

_Write a story including a relationship between the Sparda twin and Nero, where Nero isn't the uke for both Sparda twin. No conditions on the roles (uke/seme) between the twins._

Feel free to leave reviews, commentary or corrections (this text is unbeta'd) !

Please enjoy !

* * *

Love Triangle

I never realised until I left Fortuna how the weather on the continent could be ungrateful. We were in the middle of Spring but it was raining buckets of water. Good thing I was near my destination. Apparently. I couldn't picture myself entering one of those bars or strip clubs and ask for directions, it was simply ridiculous. At the moment, I couldn't help but be mad at Dante. He gave me the name of the district, and the next indication was something along the line of 'look for the red neon light'. How someone that needed to be aware of his surroundings while hunting didn't realised there was neon light on every building here ! I went back to wander aimlessly after my anger subdued and after some time, as if on cue, I remarked the reflection of a flickering sign that read 'Devil May Cry'. Bitter but also a bit relieved, I walked the remaining distance quickly and knocked.

'Come in', announced Dante with a sleepy voice.

I entered as asked, only to find the elder hunter napping his feet on his desk and a magazine covering his face. It took him some time to raise it and acknowledge my presence, but once he noticed me, he was on his feet in no time to greet me.

'Man, I wasn't expecting you that early, Kid. Damn, you're soaking wet !', affirmed Dante after laying down a hand on the boy's shoulder, 'Make yourself at home, I'll bring some towels.'

Wow... It has been so long since someone welcomed me that warmly... But still, I was a little to shy to just 'make myself at home' already. I discarded my coat, my red shirt and my boots and crashed on the couch, waiting for the elder hunter to come back. The place was for sure messy, with pizza boxes next to the desk as well as some empty beer bottles. Only the drum set and the guitar under the stairs seemed to escape the ambient chaos. I would have loved to have a better look around but a clean towel expertly thrown blocked my view.

'Your aim ain't that off for your age, Old Man.', joked Nero.

'Yeah, keep talking, Kiddo. Too bad you won't have some beer 'cause you're underage~! So, is your chick in a safer place, now ?'

'Can I borrow your bathroom first ? I need to get changed.'

'Of course. The bathroom is in the back. You have some spare clothes, Kid ?'

'Yeah, right here.', answered Nero, pointing his bag.

'Good, 'cause you still lack a little awesomeness to fit into mine !'

I got into the bathroom and locked the door to get some privacy. Sadly, the fact was that the more Kyrie was away from me, the safer she was. But she wasn't in danger because of some demon. It was because of humans, and it make the whole thing worse. Fortunians were grateful I saved them and I quickly gain some trust, but the new Order, on the other hand... It turned into the more civilized and polite form of succession war I've ever seen. Except for the number one target. And I was that target, because I was Creedo's younger brother. They knew they were powerless against me, so they subtly choose to threaten the closest person to me : Kyrie. They started with insults for both her and me, then continued with death threats. We had to leave the familial house after some time and little by little, they drove us out of Fortuna. I naively thought it will come to an end after we moved to the outskirts of the city, but we had not such luck. I concluded that it would be better for everyone, and especially for Kyrie, if I left Fortuna. Dante, who I had kept in touch with for some times now, had offered me to stay with him as long as I didn't have another place to go. And here I was, now seated next to him on his couch.

'Are you sure it's okay if I stay until I find a place to live ? I mean, it's not like I don't like it here but...'

'Don't mention it, Kid. You do know what they say about the 'birds of a feather', heh ? So you're free to stay as long as you want to.'

* * *

And I must say that on that point, the adage didn't lie. I never left the shop. And doesn't plan to anymore. Because we're in a relationship. A serious one.

It came slowly, one thing after the other.

While it isn't usually the first step for most couples, we started by living together. First as good friends, or brothers who live together before finding the one girl to settle down. And as month passed, we grew to know each other better and better and before we realized it, we were like Ebony and Ivory : inseparable. In the meantime, we also worked together in the devil hunting business, mainly on solo mission, on our own. When we were lucky, we would find each other while cleaning the same nest and touch two rewards. It didn't happened that often, but for the few times it did, we used the excess money to renovate the office. To a human, all this reveal next to nothing on our relationship. But to our devil sides, it felt like we were building our nest. And it's them who sealed the deal, almost without our consent during one of those missions. Dante wasn't one to use easily his Devil Trigger. So when he used it against an inferior demon to shred him to piece with his own claws because it threaten to hit me while I was busy with one of his friend, we both knew something was up. We cleaned the nest hurriedly, collected the reward, went home and sat by each side of the coffee table in awkward silence. I think at the moment, we were both wondering if we should let our devil sides do their thing and don't mention it again. By the end of the day, no real decisions were taken and we were left to think by ourselves in our rooms. A week passed and the heavy atmosphere was starting to get the better of us. So I asked him out on a date. Surprisingly, he said yes. Our dates had nothing exceptional, they were even very commonplace : cinema, restaurant, night walks in parks... First kiss... And we talked a lot, to understand what was happening to us. All along, I've never been bothered by the fact we were both men, including during our first time together. Dante has explained later that it was thanks to our demonic blood. Demons weren't as picky as humans can be when choosing a partner. Moreover, as some demons were asexual or hermaphrodite, gender was one of the last thing they pay attention to. But Dante has other things to explain to me. And I felt this morning was the good time to ask.

'Hey, Dante, you hadn't said anything on that tattoo on your left arm yet.'

'I surprised you said nothing about us being from the same lineage.'

'Don't try to change the subject. But it bothers me as well. Don't you think it's immoral sometime ?'

He froze. It wasn't the first time we talked about those two subjects. For the tattoo, it came just the day next to our first time. I saw that katana that looked almost exactly like Yamato, with a snake coiled up around the sheath, drawn in hues of azure on the upper part of his left arm. I sort of already knew it was not a simple tattoo, but my devil side refused to say more. However, it seems today, I'll have my answer from the only other person who could gave it. Dante sat down next to me on the bed and pulled me into his arms.

'You remember when I bite you in the crook of your neck and you were angry for two days straight when it got swollen, because it burned and you said you had gotten all the worst infections on Earth ?'

'It hurt like Hell, you know ! But, yeah, I remember. So what ?'

'That bite is the first step in order to claim a demon mate. Yours seems to have well closed and healed by now, so maybe the second step is over, now. Look at your shoulder, you should have a nice surprise.'

And indeed, I discovered with him my new mate mark. I saw it upside down but the design was very clear. Rebellion, with Ebony et Ivory crossed by the middle of the blade, barrels down, in vivid red hue. That answered as much my question as much as it made bloom others.

'This mark shows other demon that if they mess with you, they'll have to expect me to join the fun and make them learn their place. It's a bound between us that nothing can severe.'

'I understand that but, in that case, who marked you ? And why isn't it my mark ?'

'It isn't your mark because you're not the Alpha. As for the one who marked me, if you think of our relationship as immoral, then you'll find that story utterly gross.'

* * *

Vergil and I, we once had a very close relationship. And by 'very close', I mean incestuous. As far as I can remember my childhood, we always slept in the same bed, we couldn't stand being separated for more than a few hours, we would never play with other children because it was out of question to share the other part of the pair we were. We had each other, we needed no one else and won't tolerate anyone getting near the other twin. Our parents welcomed that with vastly different reactions. Eva was completely horrified when we were on our more possessive moods. And nothing of what our father tried to explain to her calmed her. To him, it was a understandable reaction. We were an unique case but from some other cases, he hypothesized some interesting things. Brotherhood is an obscure concept to demons. Demons come in two kinds, either they are individuals or part of a hive-mind. Vergil and I, being brothers, were individual-typed demons but without the instinct to kill each other to ensure survival. In itself, it was new, but not necessarily an isolated case as experience proved it to me with Baul and Modeus. However, we were not simple brothers, we were twins. And that simple fact complicated the matter. We are identical being genetically, but each one of us is his own person. To a human mind, there was no problem with this. To a demon mind, it was an abnormality, we should have been a hive-mind. The closest explanation our devil sides found was that they were the same demon split in half and tried anything in their power to be back together. Thus why we were that close while children. Then, adolescence came by, and it got even worse. With puberty, our devil sides get the weapon they needed to bring us even closer. They made us want each other, crave each other, need each other more than all human being need air or water to live. The attraction was irrational, inexorable, it has always been there, will always be there and will never change. We didn't fight it, we didn't have the mean to. So we gave in to it. Somehow, we found solace. Because we never thought too much about it. Because we knew, in our very cores, we had no other choice. That we were, as they say, 'meant to be'.

I think neither of us realized when we lost each other. Or maybe it was just gradual. Father departed, Mother got killed, we lost sight of each other. Temen-Ni-Gru rose. When we met again, our minds were clear and even with the bond linking us, I knew what you were doing was insane and it was my duty to stop you. What I didn't expect was that you were seemingly beyond redemption, and this time, I was unable to do anything. After that, every time my eyes would land on the mark you laid on me, my heart would sink a little. I only get over it after finding what happened to you after the fall. I freed you from Mundus grasp because you were my brother, my mate and because I needed to move on with my life.

'And here I am now, telling you that story. I'll let you think about it. I'll be downstairs.'

Nero nodded. I could do nothing but hope he won't be completely disgusted with me. Of course, I knew Vergil, Nero and I were from the same lineage. But as much as I like to say I live by humans customs, I never forget that I'm also a demon and use it when it's convenient enough. And my relationships with Vergil and Nero were important enough to me to justify that for once, I disregarded human morale and rules.

Nero came downstairs in the afternoon. He had a gentle smile and seemed in a good mood, so I let him do whatever he had to do. The day has been rather uneventful, so we went to bed early, since we had no plans for the evening. However, I had a strange feeling that prevented me to rest. I settled for a glass of water, hoping it would help me fall asleep. I suddenly choke on the water I was drinking when I heard a knock. It was two in the morning, who could that be ? I went a little warily to the door and opened it slowly. For a moment, I felt like I was hallucinating. It was like I was watching my twenty-years-old self, wearing a long blue coat, spiked hair, rings under my eyes and face twisted in a grimace.

'Good evening, Dante.'

'Wait a sec', I know that voice.', thought the red hunter, 'Vergil ? How is that even... possible ?'

'I'm sorry, the middle of the night isn't exactly an appropriate time to pay a visit, but if you let me in, I can explain everything to you.'

'Of course, come in, you must be freezing out there !'

Please, if it's a dream, don't let me wake up now.

'Thank you, dear brother. I was afraid for a moment you'd try to kill me on the spot.'

'What are you trying to do with your face right now ?', asked Dante, genuinely confused.

'I believe it is called 'smiling'.'

'Really ? You should quit it then, it's weird. Hey, why don't you try to catch some sleep ? You look completely worn out.'

'You're probably right, some slumber will benefit us both. Where is the guest room ?'

'First door up the stairs. Good night, Vergil.'

I heard him climb the stairs behind me. I went to my room without turning back. Just in case he would vanish if I do. I still couldn't believe it. My brother, restored to his youth, was going to spend the night in the room opposite to mine. And tomorrow, I'll know how that miracle came to be. I simply couldn't wait. At the moment, I didn't know if I was really joyful or ironic, though.

As usual, Nero woke up first and went to prepare breakfast. Or rather lunch. Once dressed, I took a look at the living room and found it empty. I was one door away from realizing I had a nice dream last night. But instead, I found my elder twin studiously reading a book in the guest room. He closed the book and greet me with a chaste kiss.

'Hello, Dante. How was your night ?'

'I thought I dreamt. Turns out it's reality. So the night was nice, I guess.'

'Will you introduce me to the young man downstairs ? Our devil sides seem to have noticed each other, but I felt it would have been impolite to go ahead without your approval.'

'Well, you'll meet before lunch. Come with me.'

'Nero, can you come here, please ?'

'Is something wrong Dante ? Oh.', said the youngest.

'Nero, this is Vergil, my twin brother, and as you know, my Alpha.'

'Nice to meet you.'

'Vergil, Nero, I'm his Alpha.'

'All the pleasure is mine, young man.'

They shake hands and both felt silent after that. Nero mumbled something about going back to the kitchen and coming back in five minutes. They weren't at each other throat after the first eye contact, so I supposed that first encounter held a positive result. Before I had more time to think about it some more, the phone rang. I took the call, waited for the password and scribbled the address. In the meantime, Vergil had set the table and Nero emerged from the kitchen soon after. The prospect of having a calm meal with the two other men was rejoicing. I hadn't expected it to be that quiet, however. I really hoped it was because Vergil liked the Nero's cooking rather than some silent war going on between those two.

'The call was for a mission, wasn't it ? Do you want me to go ? You may want to talk in private so...', asked Nero.

'Don't worry for that Kid, it's more important that the two of you get to know each other. Since Vergil will probably stay with us from now on, you deserve his explanations as much as I do. Thank again for the meal, it was delightful, as always.', complimented Dante, 'Try not to be naughty boys while I'm not here, ok ?', the Red Hunter added with a wink.

* * *

And with that, my brother left, leaving me alone with Nero. The lad was polite and well-mannered, although a little shy. We discussed for some times around a cup of cheap tea and some biscuits. All of a sudden, the curtain fell, the masquerade ended. Devils instincts expected of us to fight in order to defend what was legitimately ours. We both fought for Dante and the office. But by the end of the first round, which saw a surprising victory of the younger, all that was left to fight for was Dante. And the office state only get worse after each consequent set. And after each one, we were both getting more vicious and animal. While we were fighting, I got to understand the interest my brother had in the boy. Nero was not only young, had a nice physique and a good temper but he was also a fierce fighter with an impressive raw power when needed. He was neatly balanced between caring and harming potential. And at the moment, he was showing me all the extent of his harming potential with his demonic right arm. That arm was an interesting feature and I wished I could have examined it rather than having it connected repeatedly to my jaw. I lost my patience after some time and stopped his demonic fist from connecting again. Thus, when Dante came back, Nero and I were barring fangs and claws at each other amidst a devastated office, with the youngest straddling me to the floor. I took some persuasion on my twin part to make the young man break his lock and ensure we won't be going to fight again. Under Dante's watchful eye, we repaired as much damage as we could and settled down for a talk.

'Now that you ain't two rabid beasts anymore, maybe we can have some explanations. First, how did you came back to life all of a sudden, Vergil ?'

'After you defeated Nelo Angelo on Mallet Island, a demon went to retrieve my body.'

'Sorry to interrupt that early, but you were the 'Dark Angel' ? But I thought the Order had recovered my body in order to create the Bianco Angelos ?'

'They could have only retrieved the armour.', suggested Dante, 'It is more than enough to design devil-possessed armoured suits. So, what does that demon wanted ?'

'Apparently, she was one of Father's follower. She thought it was her duty to bring back the son of her Lord to his former glory. Thus she began using her symbiotic powers and a vial containing Sparda's blood to restore me. I have no idea how the process worked, but she gave up her life to make this possible. So the least I could do for her sake was to find you and start a new life here.'

During my journey to the office, I often thought of that demon. She left nothing of her behind, no name, no face, no belonging, except for her masterpiece, as she liked to call me. I had no way now to know if she was compelled to give in her life, but even if she wasn't, I wouldn't dare think of her with disdain. Being a servant of Sparda wasn't the kind of life someone could bear easily. She died fulfilling her duty, and to her, it was probably the only thing that mattered.

'You always were the lucky one, heh ? I wish I could thank her, though. Now tell me why you were trying to kill one another ?'

'We both tried to protect what was rightfully ours : our mate, the nest. I'm afraid you'll have to settle the matter, brother.'

'Convenient enough for you, isn't it ? If Dante had barged in a second later you wouldn't have that precious pretty face anymore.'

'Remember you owe me some respect, lad.' said Vergil darkly.

'I'm sorry guys, but you can't ask me that.'

Seeing Dante in pain was the best deterrent he could ever find to our murderous inclination. Nero tried to reach out for him when he left the room, and didn't protest when I prevented him from doing so. We didn't resume fighting either. He even apologized for starting it in the first place. From then on, we concluded a peace agreement of sorts. For a few weeks, we tolerated each other presence in the same household and Dante's mood improved as a result. On some occasion, we would still be glaring at each other but we made efforts to quit it as fast as possible. I would sometimes lend a hand to the young man with the chores and I could tell he was grateful for my help. And that's how I discovered he liked to read on his spare time. We started to talk about it sometimes and that helped the formation of a weak, but nonetheless existing, link. We started to build around it a bit unknowingly, gradually. Before we realized it, we were going to the library together and exchanging books. By the time one of his favourite book's cinematographic adaptation went out, the link has fleshed out enough for him to ask me to go with him. We went to the theatre and kissed during the screening. I wasn't surprised by the method or the place, Nero was only a young adult, but by his sudden enthusiasm. But at the moment, my devil side was pleased with what was going to happen when we would be back home. And Nero didn't disappointed. Until I felt two points puncture the crook of my neck. That simple try to place a mate mark on me made my devil side snap, send the boy reeling almost on the other side of the living room and it took me a great deal of cold blood to retire peacefully to my room. Demonic hierarchy is very strict, and a lower ranked trying to mark a higher ranked was an offence. Our present situation worsened even more the offence because Nero the lowest ranked and I was the highest ranked. In any case, those acts were sentenced by death. But the next morning, Nero was having nothing of this :

'Don't give me that bullshit about ranks ! No such things exist in human relationships !'

'Watch your mouth, lad. That's what you didn't understand when my brother marked you, we aren't in a human relationship !'

'I know that ! We're related but we're lovers, isn't that enough of a proof ?'

'You're pretentious to think you can abuse the advantages of our demonic traditions without suffering from any of its drawbacks.'

'I'm not pretentious ! Naive, maybe, but not pretentious. Open your damn eyes, we're not only mindless bloodthirsty living nightmares, we're also human. That's why we can ignore demon's shitty hierarchy system !'

That day, I discovered here one of the quality I was found of in Nero : he was a visionary. I wasn't entirely convinced but I liked the idea, it was worth giving it a try. I knelt before my soon-to-be Alpha and asked him to finish what he started. He blushed, mumbled he couldn't to do it out of the blue like that. It was still early, so I enticed him into my room in order to give him the warm-up he needed.

* * *

In the first time for two weeks, I caught Vergil in the bathroom. I always was aware my twin brother was very proud and dignified. But I couldn't imagine he will pout, avoid us and put on a scarf when he ventured outside his cocoon just to hide his healing bite mark. This morning however, he seemed to be back to his old self. With a dark blue rose which stem seemed to the Red Queen tattooed on his left shoulder.

'Nice mark, bro' !'

'Good morning to you too, Dante.'

'Hurry up you two ! Lunch will become cold ! Where's your coat, Vergil ?', inquired Nero.

'In my room. I didn't put it on today because I have something to show you today.'

The Kid immediately understood what Vergil was taking about. He rushed to our side and got a good look at the visible manifestation of his link with my Alpha. They were still a little aloof and I felt relieved to attend to one of their display of affection. However, today wasn't an important day only for them. It was a crucial day for the three of us, because it was the birth of our triumvirate.


	2. Appendix : Shades

Hi, I'm back ! ^^

Ok, at first I didn't intended to write a sequel/prequel/appendix/whatever at Love Triangle... But Vergil OOCness bugged me too much x).

So here you are with my "autor saving throw for Vergil's personality" !

Once again I hope my English isn't awful (it's possibly worse than last time, I rushed a bit to finish it today :s ).

Feel free to leave reviews, commentary or corrections (this text is unbeta'd) !

Please enjoy !

* * *

Shades

I felt consciousness and awareness come back to me after seemingly a very long time. I laid on a solid, heterogeneous, perfectly flat floor, immersed in a sterilized, dry, odorless, air. Save from the sound of my respiration, there was no sounds. I opened my eyes and got blinded by the pristine white all around me. My sight got used to the color after a few blinks and I then could have a better look at my surroundings. Endless white, with no visible walls, floor or ceiling. It made me dizzy. Or maybe it was all the pain I felt moving ever so slowly my head. I was under the impression my whole body was broken into millions of pieces and each and every of my moves would make those tiny pieces collide and break further. However, from what I could see, I missed none of my limb. I was relieved but it didn't last. I wasn't in a state that allowed me to fight and a demon was approaching. Through cheer force of will, I rose into a sitting position despite all the pain. It however proved fruitless as I almost fell back on the floor. Almost. Something dampened the fall of my head. And the last thing I saw before going back to the unnatural sleep was a sharp black form looming over me.

* * *

All my senses were void of any signal. This fact has been true for what seem an eternity. And all of a sudden, without any warning, I felt as if all my body has caught on fire from the inside. After such a long time without any sensation, I was almost drunk on all those new feelings at once. But more importantly, I recognized the familiar feeling of power. And at the moment, it was more important to me than air or be in a single piece. I identified the power source and began trashing, flailing although my whole body was nothing now but a mess of pain threatening to be reduced to shreds if I was to move any longer in order to reach the source. It distanced itself after a moment and my agitation became much more intense as a result. It's then I heard myself croak something that sounded like 'Give it to me !' again, and again, with a more piteous result with each iteration. The power source went away once more and I felt a strong hand pin my right arm and something I hardly felt at all pin my left arm. Somehow, it was enough to render me unable to move and a little more sane. And with my sanity back, the pain made itself known. I let out a strangled cry and a few tears escaped my eyes before the excruciating pain. I panted a little when it gradually became dull, and I didn't dare to move once it disappeared. Even when the hold on my arms was gone, the only thing I did was opening my eyes. The blinding white was still there, and when my eyes focused, I saw the black figure. It wasn't human. Its voice only confirmed my hypothesis of it being a demon.

'Please, Master, try not to move that much henceforth. Your body isn't ready for it yet.'

Anyone in my place would have asked to thousand questions in such a situation. But, the only though that crossed my mind was 'Give me more power'. Weakness got the better of me soon after and I sank back into the nothingness.

* * *

Power rushed back into me, exactly like the last time. The feeling was however less overwhelming and somehow, my thirst for power, while still there and powerful, has quenched a little. I opened my eyes to a less aggressive light gray ceiling, and the same demon from the two other time looming over me. I realized the power source was placed in the corner of my ajar mouth. I wondered what kind of liquid could wield so much energy, and the answer came when I tried to lap at the vial. The recipient was made of metal, but I was sure the strong metallic taste originated from the liquid itself. The tear that flowed left a minor burn trail on its wake that healed in no time, and gave me the indication that it was a strong demon's blood. It was a very primal way to heal and restore one's strength for a demon but it seemed to be working quite well on me. When I tried to incline the forearm of the black demon to increase the flow, it didn't hurt as much as it had the last time. Alas, it saw through my gesture and withdrew its arm, and thus the vial. I tried in vain to make the arm, then the vial, come back to me and drink some more but the demon seemed well too aware of my plans and hid the container.

'Please, Master, my Lord wouldn't be pleased if I was to misuse his blood. Besides, not that I dare to underestimate my Master's abilities, but I know alchemy and am thus the more able to use Lord Sparda's blood.

'If it's my father's blood, it should then belong to me, slave. Hand it to me !'

'Accept my apologies Master, but I cannot agree to your demand and shall take any measure needed to protect my Lord's blood. I humbly suggest you to renounce your intent for now.'

It could use all those formalities as often as it wanted, it won't impression me, let alone gain my respect or my trust. All it was doing was take advantage of my weakness and look down on me with her false reverence. But as much as I hate to admit it, the black demon was right. It put my head on the floor, rose and began walking a few meters away. And it was all the safety it needed. Would I try to rejoin it, it just had to resume walking until I couldn't chase it anymore. With that in mind, I didn't even bother to move and lay still, until tiredness invited me in a much needed slumber. On the verge of sleep, I felt my head being lifted again.

* * *

I awoke in the posture I had when going to sleep the last time. Like I didn't move at all. This was however very unlikely because I slept for a very long time. Or at least, that's what I believe. There was the slightest hint of something through my hair and it was disturbing me. I could tell it wasn't air, though it was very similar, as if it was gas. It would sometime venture up to my forehead and retreat immediately in my silver locks. Somehow, it reminded me of the force which pined my arm.

'Quit the familiar gesture, low-life demon, I'm not your plush.'

'Forgive me, Master. You seemed appreciative of it while sleeping.'

It cast its hands away and waited. Apparently, it had no plan to invigorate me today. It was probably too afraid I would kill it to reclaim my father's blood and stopped all its experiments on me. But honestly, what kind of sick lackey would use its Master as a guinea pig ? I guess that's how twisted servitude is in the Demon World. Thinking a little more about it, it was only to be expected. No demon is miserable enough to submit willingly and be pleased to remain only the servant. We all crave for being the strongest one. Me included. And if that pitiful excuse of a merciless killer don't help me reach that goal, I might as well obliterate it before it become too confident to attack me.

'Stop slacking off and give the power you show me earlier, weakling !'

'I'm sorry, but your body need time to assimilate all this energy, Master. Besides, I abide by a strict yet steady schedule. You should be restored soon.'

'I order you to go faster. Otherwise, I shall leave after I make sure to leave nothing of you.'

'Very well, I'll do whatever is in my power to speed up the process if it's your wish, Master.'

Yet, it did nothing today. Or rather, all it did was being disrespectful. It touched my face without warning. Then came my hands. The contacts only lasted for a split second and were lighter than a feather, but they greatly annoyed me nonetheless. I tried to slap its hand away every time, but due to its ghostly nature, I always ended up almost slapping myself. Good thing my demon inheritance give me perfect reflexes. Unfortunately, my reflexes failed me once. And I thus discovered furrows below my eyes, on the back of my hand and in some others places. My skin also felt different. It felt dead. No warmth came from it, no matter how much my hand lingered. And I knew all too well is was responsible of those changes. And maybe, just maybe, the black demon who watched every single one of my movement since I arrived here would help me enact my vengeance.

* * *

Something felt different when I woke up. My neck was stiff, I was sitting and my demonic jailor was nowhere to be seen. However, it was here, around me, too close for comfort. Considering my position, I blindly reached for my back. And at shoulder level, I wasn't surprised to feel a thick mess of gas around my fingers Surprisingly, I didn't now what to do about that. So I let it be. For now. But it had better explain itself quickly. As if on cue, its whispering voice rose, much clearer than ever before.

'Please, Master, I can explain everything. But stay still. Or at least, don't move your neck.'

'I'm waiting for some clarification, demon. Don't make me waste my time.'

'I ran out of my Lord's blood a few days ago. You wished for the process to go faster, so I used my ability to link with another demon.'

'I don't recall giving you the right to do such a thing.'

'Then, please accept my sincerest apologies. I shall undo the link in your sleep so that you won't be irritated further.'

I was both annoyed and astonished by its tractability.

Annoyed because it wasn't someone I could control the way I wanted to, unlike what it was constantly saying. It had enough intelligence to know when to listen to me and when not to in order to fulfill its mission.

Astonished because we were talking about a demon. It was the most loyal I've ever meet. It probably knew that by helping me regaining my strength, it was building its own doom. Yet it was still complying to every one of my wish, using whatever possibility it had.

Survival-wise, it was a very stupid attitude that will get it killed one day. And I was one to seize every opportunity to kill such an easy prey. However that devotion was far too blind to be fake. I couldn't wrap my head around it properly, but maybe it could be trusted.

'Demon, can you tell me how much the healing time will be reduced if you keep the link ?'

'Of course. I believe the healing can be done at least two time faster. I cannot be more precise than that.'

'Keep the bond to its maximum efficiency without invading my mind or something along those lines.'

'So it shall be.'

With that said, I felt a dot in my neck being set ablaze and enlarge itself for a few second. I became fully aware of the black demon's body hugging my back, as if it was covered with a mantle of dense mist. Somehow, my body just expanded beyond itself, through another being. The feeling was new, and surprisingly vivid. I contemplated the impression for a little while, then the other demon in the room broke the silence.

'Master, may I ask you something ?'

'Speak quickly, then.'

'Why do you strive for power ?'

At the time, I didn't realize it was questioning my motives. The only things I could think about were the slaughtering of my family, my will to prove myself as more than a mere 'son of Sparda' and those years when I was Mundus' puppet. Conveniently enough, I could fulfill all those goals by destroying Mundus. When I answered its question, we both fell silent. I could tell it wasn't the absolute and peaceful silence that usually ruled this place. It seemed to understand as a little while latter, it intervened :

'Master, I'm afraid you'll have to postpone your vengeance plans.'

'Tell me why, and I'll see.'

'Well, first, I couldn't retrieve the Zweihänder you used as a servant of Mundus, and Yamato is missing ever since your confrontation with him. Second, fight him in the demon world, next to his legions, weaponless, is akin to suicide...

'And let me guess, you won't let me do that because it would be my father's will ? Is it my brother who banished Mundus back in the demon world ?'

'It is indeed Master Dante.'

I never expected the news to be so destructive. According to my reasoning, I couldn't rest until Mundus wasn't a part of either world anymore. Yet, I felt like there was no point in seeking revenge anymore. Maybe because it took nearly two thousand years for him to try to come back to the demon world. And as my retainer smartly pointed out, a direct confrontation in his realm was the shortest way to be Mundus' plaything again for a while. I suddenly felt empty, devoid of any goals. Dante has achieved the closest we could possibly got to a revenge. I hardly believed we both could live those two thousand years, and doubted even more we would be able to defeat him at this point. I wished I could be by myself at the moment, to think everything through. But I guessed there was worst place in the demon world to be than here, sheltered from harm and slowly healed back to former glory.

* * *

Ever since I started to completely accept the black demon's help, I tried to estimate how much time had passed since my first awakening. However, since the environnement was lacking any form of celestial bodies, nature or living being besides us, that task was near impossible. So instead, I focused on my caretaker, more specifically on what it was doing through the bond. I was almost sure we were exchanging demonic energy by the tether but I still had no idea why. I remarked some subtle changes between the entering and exiting energy but it was very faint to me. So I tried to adress my warden about the matter, but quickly realized that so far, the only first name prononced by either of us was my brother's. Likewise, I couldn't recall ever seeing a demon of that kind before, so I couldn't simply throw a 'Envy !' or 'Pride !' like I would usually do. Out of option, I continued with the name I used until now, only with a softer tone :

'Say, demon, does you or your kind have a name ?'

'Of course, Master. My Lord called me Mira. And although I had no kin, He said we shall be named Nosferatu.'

Nosferatu, one of the multiple names of Count Dracula. While Mira indeed had some vampiric traits, like the link we shared or the fact that she was mist rather than simply being able to change herself into it, I wasn't expecting a vampire demon to look like that. That new characterization provided some clarifications about the link itself but had yet to explain what she was exactly doing. Vampires were famous for their blood sucking, rather than for their blood exchanging habits.

'Mira, can you explain what you are doing to help my recovery thought that bond ?'

'When Mundus altered you into Nelo Angelo, he left an imprint on all your demonic energy to make sure you would obey, or being able to sap your power if you were to revolt. Your body, on his own, would choose to eliminate that imprinted demonic energy and create new one, with your imprint. This process is however very long and could endanger your health because of the tremendous amount of energy required.'

'So that's why I needed your help to sit even after I recovered from all my injuries. But please, continue.'

'I have the ability to take off any imprint on demonic energy and make it available to use to every demon, including me. Think of it as dialysis or water purification.'

I couldn't even imagine the chaos that would ensue if that power was to fall between ill-intentionned hands. A single demon able to supply other or itself with unlimited amount of demonic energy provided it could find enough victims to leech. The vampiric traits of her race's namesake suddenly went back to the forefront of my mind full force. If it wasn't for her loyalty for my father, I would have been a perfect opportunity to empower her : too weak to resist her but with still a considerable amount of power left. But since she was on my side, she offered me an equally interesting opportunity, which was to convert all the power Mundus has used to change me into his puppet and add it to my own, with minimal effort. It was almost too good to be true. Yet it was really happening. Since I awoke, the round mark on the back of my neck never cooled. And little did I know it would take a very long time for it to become cold.

* * *

Another time interval has passed since I rejoiced because Mira's powers were on my side. However, I though about it some more in the meantime and I found no satisfying reason that would explain the gas demon help. I already know she used to be allied with my father, but as far as I'm concerned, I never summoned a demon to help me, and I highly doubt Dante would do it in the direst context. And while Mira seemed to be fairly good-natured for a demon -and that was quite an understatement- I couldn't bring myself to understand why she was still standing by the side of the Sparda familly. If she was as secretive as I though her to be, it would have been easier for her to simply forgot her involvement with Sparda. And aside from kindness, demon usually don't relish being chained to the will of other, so with the death of our father, she would have had no reason to be there with me. Or worse, she could have become the demon I imagined when I first heard about her abilities. Yet, she was still here, watching over me, and since she knew about Dante, maybe over him too. Although I felt no hint of a mate mark and the simple though of my father having a lover who wasn't my mother made me cringe, I had to ask her :

'Mira, are you a mate of my father ?'

'I beg your pardon, Master ?'

The confusion in her voice was so genuine I was almost taken aback by it. She made it sound like the question was absolutely absurd. After a little struggle with words, she quickly added.

'Would He have asked it, I would have accepted with no condition and stood by His side with pride as His mate. But I wasn't mature enough when I met Him.'

'Then why ? Why are you still helping us while he has passed away ?'

'Because I owe Him my life. Until I reached maturity, I had no need for demonic energy, so I found in the human world much more peaceful hosts to grow and live with.'

'Grow and live with ?'

'I would inhabit their shadow for a while and leave as soon as they got sick or developped heightened senses because of my presence. None died. I came back in the demon world once I reached adulthood.'

It was like she has done her best to embrace my father's view. I surely would have despiced her for it a few times ago, told her she was a lame excuse for a demon and probably to got out of my sight before I choose to kill her with my own hands. Yet, I found it strangely comforting. Maybe because it made her more harmless. I guess you only make that kind of encounters once in a lifetime. And you then have to choose if it inspire you enough to change something about you. Hopefully, I still had a lot of time, even with my healing advancing steadily. I began to feel the effect of becoming an individual being again. Mundus had the decency to cover some parts of my body under my armor while I was his puppet, but with Mira's treatement, the rags covering my dignity had begun to shrink, since they didn't really belong to the body she was trying to restore. My only chance to retrieve some clothes lied in Dante, alas.

'Mira, you do know where my brother lives, right ?'

'Yes, Master. Do you want me to warn him about our state ?'

'No, Mira, the time has yet to come. But if you could fetch one of my old outifts, I would be very thankful.'

'Then, I shall operate with discretion and silence. Your brother will know nothing about it.'

She also operated with admirable swiftness and accuracy. No article were missing, from my boots to my jabot. She even left me alone to dress without I had to ask her. It felt so strange after all this time, to feel fabric on my skin again. To me, it marked more than anything I was close to come back to life for good.

* * *

I delighted in the pleasure of wearing my full attire for some time, but when Mira needed me to stay still once again, I discarded my mantle, jabot and gloves. She seemed satisfied to see me express a tame joy, though it was more the glint in her eyes than any facial muscle that allowed him to think that. That very same glint, however, got duller everytime I saw it. I wondered if tiredness was taking its toll on her. After all, she has made incommensurable efforts since the very first day. I pictured her as someone that would never ask for a reward. Perhaps because to her, serving us was the only reward she needed or maybe she was only trying to repay for the time she couldn't protect us. Though, to me, there was no point in holding a grudge against her for the latter reason, because of how weak she was. One must be alive to serve his Master well, she at least knew something that valuable. While I would have disdained her for her pathetic strenght, her wisdom and good judgement were something precious and worth having by our side. Because, in the end, demon's lack of cleverness and organization were the two sole things which kept them from overrun humankind. Considering those argument, I awaited for a propitious moment to ask about her reward.

'Tell me, Mira, why would you ask for if I promised you a reward for my recovery ?'

'See you walk the earth again is the only thing I would want as a reward.'

'I haven't promised you anything yet. So feel free to speak your mind.'

'In that case, may I ask for a little delay ?'

'Granted.'

I think that, at the moment, neither of us were fooled by the other tricks. She knew very well I actually intended to give her a reward and I knew very well she would simply wait until I forgot and never mention it again. But since she asked for a delay, it meant she accepted her reward anyway. So in return, I could gave her some time and sincerely hope she would came around with an idea. In fact, any ideas would be good by now. I was wide awake most of the time and the plane was desesperatly empty of any form of distraction. The bond was strong enough to withstood a distance of a few meters between us. It was a nice start but the length was nowhere near enough for me to explore my surrondings and possibly discover another room or at least some kind of fourniture. She was an alchemist, so she must have a lab, somewhere. I had yet to find something, however. Mira noticed my restlessness after a short moment.

'May I suggest I return to your brother's in order to retrieve some of our belongings, such as books, to ease your boredom ?'

'I think it's the brightest idea you had in a very long time. Do that and make sure to bring back many books.'

Maybe my answer lacked a little diplomacy. She didn't seem to notice, instead leaving in silence. She walked in a straight line, and all of a sudden, like she rounded a corner, she dissapeared into thin air. Intrigued, I followed her path exactly and found no wall she could have hid behind nor gate leading to another plane. I thought I finally understood what my opponents felt when I used my ability to manipulate space and time. I guessed she would, like last time, do her best not to be seen at Dante's. Who knows for how long she has watched on us and we never knew. Dante still didn't know. If she wasn't mature when she met my father, she probably was around all our lives. And when she wasn't witnessing everything we knew and love slowly dissapear, then saw us fighting each other, being powerless to stop all this, she was always hiding from other demons. I let all this sank in. Thus, when Mira came back, books weren't as interesting. And with each passing second, the silence made my anxiety grew more and more. I had enough after a while, turned around to face the gas demon and asked with a steady voice :

'Mira, are you satisfied with your life ?'

'What should I feel unsatisfied for, Master ?'

'You faced as much, if not more hardship than Dante and I. The demons who know about you must be out to kill you. And you had no one to rely on, whereas I had Dante for a short while.'

'You and Master Dante are alive and well, and it's everything that matters.'

'Quit saying the same things over and over !'

'I can't. Because I'm a full demon. I can only work and live for the goal destiny choose for me. Only your father did broke destiny's chains. So please, Master, don't let me slow you down and hurry to decide on who you want to be.'

'Some humans would rather die than live your life and be aware of it.'

'They don't realize their luck, but if you say so, Master...'

She sounded a little thoughtful, for a moment. I brushed that of quickly, however. Demons were prisoners of their fate. Humans were free to shape it like they wanted to. Do I really wanted to stay the demon who failed against Mundus ? But more importantly, do I wanted to live like a human even if I wasn't able to get my revenge anyway ? I would need time to ponder over that.

* * *

Oddly and even if I had no memories of what happened in the meantime, I could tell a significant amount of time has passed since my last conversation with Mira. Thoughts had buzzed in my head ever since, however. So the ten or so books she brought back last time were coming in handy. They offered a nice parenthesis and kept me immobile, so Mira could work at her ease. I noticed that she seemed more tired than last time. I tried to gave her a book, so she could rest at least the time of the reading, but she refused every single time. I needed to find a way to distract her, and fast. But distract someone you know nothing about is a hard task, so I feigned to change position to get a better look at her. Her skull was a smooth, round and brillant sort of chitin that originated from the the base of the back of her neck, covering the places where would be the ears and eyes on a human face, and ended in point on the tip of a hypothetic nose. Her eyes were of a stricking white compared to the deep black of the skull, shaped like half-moons. Her mouth was nothing more than a dark grey line on the black skin below the carapace. Then came her right arm, made of a rock looking like obsidian. It also was very smooth and brilliant, but each one of her fingers ended in a viciously sharp claw. Looking closer, I noticed that each one of the articulation of her finger sported one of those pointy extremity, as well as her elbow where it reached the middle of the upper part of her arm. The rest of her body, however gaseous, seemed to have very clear borders, defining an almost-human body, different only because of her very long and thin legs. The smoke was always running inside those borders, coming back infinitely from the bottom of each member, and dissipating immediately into the air once it reached the shoulder-level. The flow was opposite in her vestigial wings, which looked like the skeleton of a wing but made of gas. It was fascinating to look at. Every inch of her skin was moving, yet she was still. The mix of rock and gas was particular, but very harmonious. However, it said nothing on Mira herself. I guessed the next thing I had to do was to ask her directly.

'Mira, would you mind to tell me more about you ?'

'Of course not, Master. What do you wish to know ?'

'About your familly if you have some ? What kind of demon you really are ? Anything will do.'

She gathered her thoughts in a few seconds and started with her parents. Her father was the classic vampire of litterature. He lived in a small manor in the demonic realm and stayed there, dressed in a black cloak, sipping on a glass of red wine, waiting for the night to fall on the human world. He would then hunt for blood, either of humans or of beasts, and be back to his domain before the sunrise. I was intrigued by the fact Mira's father had a 'domain'. It was rare for a lesser demon to have even a small patch of land in the demonic realm. But when she told me the mansion was next to volcanoes, it all clicked together. While demons weren't exactly picky about their living place, most of them being in fact nomadic, only very few species could stand to live nearby volcanoes. But Mira's mother, more than being one of the demon that could, was even the kind of demon that were children of volcanoes. As such, saying Mira had a mother was a bit misleading. A body constitued solely of magmatic and molten rocks was a body that could hardly have a gender, and the same thing could be said about Mira herself. But being asexual didn't mean being enable to reproduce in the demonic world. Mira didn't know exactly how they met or even how long they stayed together, but she was eventually born from their union. Demon from a first generation were most of the time physical embodiment of primal fear, based around myths or disasters. While her parents were prime exemples, Mira may not represent anything, because she was their child.

'My Lord liked to think I incarnated a pyroclastic flow, thus why I'm made of rock and of gas. The only fault in his reasoning was that the gas in those clouds are scalding.'

'Warmth can be expressed in various fashions, Mira. Maybe my father's idea wasn't that flawed.'

I never doubted my father's intelligence, but that association was especially appropriate. I had to agree with it. She then continued with the little she remembered about her childhood. She spent most of it inside the shadow of randoms demons, hoping only not to get killed. Until the demon began to march towards the human world, everything was fine. Then, my father stood against them. Obivously, he had to fight throngs of demons, and among them, the host Mira inhabited. She changed host blindly, until she found one who didn't die instantly. Understanding where she was, she tried not to make herself known, expecting to be killed if Sparda realized she was in his shadow. It worked well, but once out of the battlefield, he noticed immediately something was wrong. He entered the plane and took a good look at Mira. She had been afraid, of course, but tried her best not to show it. He mumbled something about her being 'only a unaware child' and let her live here. He came back sometimes, talking with her, while walking the Earth. When Sparda settled down with Eva, she came back one last time, and told Mira she was free to go, now that she had almost reach adulthood, providing she would not harm any of the humans she will live with and never inhabit Eva's shadow. She did as she was told, while staying around our familly. When Sparda departed, instead of following him, she stayed near us and tried to help Eva as much as she could without being seen or inhabiting Eva's, Dante's or my shadow. Maybe that and the fact I always was closer to my devil side were why I kept my waryness of shades longer than Dante. She eventually witnessed everything that happened in our lives, silently.

'I'm relieved I'm able to do something this time, Master, after everything that happened.'

'Don't be hard on yourself. I'm sure my father would think you repaid your debt when you watched over us.'

She smiled at that. It was the most genuine smile I had seen in a long time. A genuine smile coming from a supposedly emotionless being. The irony didn't went unnoticed.

* * *

Thinking about it further, that smile wasn't the first proof of Mira showing emotion. Her whole attitude may have been, since the very beginning, true and sincere respect. But because she was a full demon, she shouldn't be able to have, let alone express, feelings. However, she may simply have developped it by rubbing elbows with my father and humans. But if that was true, it also meant she developped it better than me, maybe even better than some humans. And it was at best completely illogical. I exposed my theory to her, and almost as if trying to immediatly prove it, she expressed no surprise.

'I can emulate facial expression and some tones in appropriate circumstances, by analogy. On my own, I feel nothing. While linked with an host, I can borrow their way to express feeling.'

'Do you mean the smile you had last time...?'

'Indeed, Master. You must keep that smile for someone very special, don't you ?'

'Are you jealous ?'

'Of course not. Having persons to hold so close to one's heart is the best thing that could happen in life.'

Well, I cherished my familly as much as I could as a child. Until late eighteen, I had Dante. Then I met Arkham. He made me yearn for Sparda's power. Before I knew it, I had lost my brother and all ties to my familly. No wonder I couldn't picture myself with that smile. But since I was soon going to came back to the human world, maybe I would be able to catch up time with my mate. But the moment still had yet to come.

'Mira, will you be sad when I will leave ?'

'You were when your dad departed, so I guess I will be sad.'

'Then, why don't you come leave with us when this is all over ? If I introduce you to Dante, he will probably accept that you stick around.'

Like countless time already, we felt silent. But this time, the silence was different. It wasn't the silence that ended a conversation or followed a crucial declaration. It was the uneasy kind of silence. I could understand she didn't like the idea of living with two mated demon, but Dante was good-natured and I recognized her as an ally, so there should be no problems. She has been confiant until now, so her reticence must originate from her tiredness. It hadn't cease to increase, and all I ad tried to make her rest until now had failed. And her next question brought some worrisome horizons.

'Master, what does it feels like to die ?'

'I guess it depends. Some would fear death until the very end, others would do their best to stay calm and leave with dignity or just simply wait for it.'

She seemed satisfied with that answer. I could only hope she was being pessimistic and tiredness was hindering her judgement. Otherwise...

* * *

I resurfaced alone this time. I worried a little to easily for my liking, but with what she said last time, I could only have suspicions. I called her twice, to no avail, searched for ways out, and only then gathered the resolve to simply wait for her to come back. I took one of the books she brought back from my brother's and read. I had a hard time concentrating on the words, but after a few moment, it got better. I had finished a book and an half by the time she got back. She stood still, visibly surprised.

'You woke up earlier than expected. I never intended to leave you alone here for a very long time, please forgive me, Master'

'Everything is fine, Mira. What were you up too ?'

'I went to see how Master Dante was doing. I have something to tell you about him.'

I could tell she didn't know how to announce the news. Her nervosity signs weren't as evident as most human's, but her smoke flow was altered, different.

'Your brother took mate today.'

'I beg your pardon...?'

'Master Dante became an alpha.'

I still didn't believed it. I knew it was how it was supposed to work, until I had enough demons obeying my order to secure land in the demonic realm. Demons weren't really monogamous creatures by nature, but knowing Dante in someone else's arms made my blood boil.

'Who did he marked ?'

'Nero, a young quarter-demon, around twenty-one years old, with a strong ressemblance to my Masters.'

Did his narcissism drove him insane or was he clumsily trying to cope with my dissapearance ? It alleviated the matter but it still didn't explained why he had to seek another mate so soon. I couldn't possibly be gone for more than six month ! Six month were a long time to be separated from a mate but they were next to nothing considering our lifespan. Mira saw my confusion and went to live me alone, but added one last thing before vanishing into thin air :

'Master, please, don't be so vengeful towards Master Dante. He was hesitant until their relationship reached a tipping point. And while ten years aren't really a long time to demons or half-demons, ten years without one's mate are ten years of painful longing.'

Ten years...? Is that really how long has passed since Mira retrieved my body and started the recovery process ? How could I not realize how long it has been ? Did he really waited ten years for me ? Would he still welcome me after all this time ? I was lost. And I possibly had nowhere to go, aside from here.

* * *

I emerged from that weird coma again. Who knew how much time had passed this time ?

I was standing still. I still felt the link with Mira on my neck, though it was a little colder. Mira was in front of me, five or six meters away. The smoke covering her body was getting thinner with each passing second. Her eyes weren't as brilliant as usual. Her mouth was tensed in a strange line, trying to conceal her pain.

'Mira, are you dying ?'

'I'm afraid yes, Master.'

Her tone was unwavering. She was dying. It was a fact, nothing else. She fell on her knees and I rushed at her side without even thinking. I couldn't get a grip on her body. I could only watch her knelt before me, saw the smoke dying as soon as it distanced itself from her shoulders.

'Master, you never told me someone could feel pride while waiting to die.'

It wasn't a reproach. She let out a short laugh, though I didn't know if it was from elation or self-deprecation. She sat on her long legs and could feel her eyes on me, taking in every inch of my image.

'I have completed my task. You are my masterpiece.'

My eyes never left hers. Her voice was getting weaker with each word. Mine was getting strangled with each of her words.

'You are not allowed to die until you tell me what to want as a reward, Mira.'

'Please, Master, get along with the young quarter demon. It's the only thing I ask of you.'

I nodded. I owed her at least that. She smiled. But the smile wasn't the same than last time. It was more mischiveous, somehow. She let out another small laugh, put her rocky hand on the crook of my neck. I felt one of her finger press the cooling disc on my neck.

'Do you remember when you remarked neither your mother, your brother or you noticed my presence ?'

'Yes, I do.'

'When I'll release the pressure on your neck, you will lose all your memories of what happened, except for the fact that some demon who followed your father save your life.'

'You can't do that ! I would forget the promise I made to you ! Why would you want it to end that way ?!'

'Because that's how it is supposed to be. I always served my masters from the shades. Besides, if you were to become friend with Nero solely because you promised it to me, your friendship would mean nothing, right ? You have to take the decision by yourself, and yourself alone.'

All she said was full of sense, of course. But I couldn't bear the thought of Mira dying without at least remembering her. There was no tears on either side, but sadness was choking my heart. I felt powerless, once again. But there was maybe one last thing I could do. With my remaining willpower, I mustered my most commanding and peremptory tone :

'Mira, I want you to rest in my shadow. I don't care if it is in vain or if it takes two thousand years for you to get better. You are not allowed to disobey this order.'

She didn't really had a clear reaction. Her finger slowly released the pressure on the back on my neck. Before everything fade to black, I heard a small whispering noise :

'Goodbye, Master Vergil.'

* * *

I let my eyes wander in my surrondings. The night was fresh, yet this place looked very lively. I didn't really know where I was but I had the feeling I know that place. Which was very strange considering there was only strip clubs, bars and a cheap hotel around me at the moment. I saw in the distance a red, flickering neon. The sign read 'Devil May Cry'. I almost dismissed it as another of those filthy place until I caught the aura of a living being inside the building. Drawn like a moth to a flame by the aura of my brother, I knocked at the door. He opened a little warrily. A smile tugged the corner of my lips. My younger brother looked like a man now. More importantly, he was alive, well and looked quite stuned at the moment.

'Good evening, Dante.'

'Vergil ? How is that even... possible ?'

'I'm sorry, the middle of the night isn't exactly an appropriate time to pay a visit, but if you let me in, I can explain everything to you.'

'Of course, come in, you must be freezing out there !'

Would he only believe that a demon gave up her life to allow me to walk the Earth ? I wished I could find a way to thank her for that. Even if I remembered nothing of her and had no idea how to find her, I had the feeling she was close by, following my every step.


End file.
